Frank Bruno: A national hero

Frank Bruno aged 51 is one of the most popular British boxers of recent times.

With his fantastic personality combined with natural boxing talent and a desire to make something out of himself he has became a national treasure.

Bruno holds a good record with 40 wins and five losses - including an impressive 38 knockouts - highlighting his impressive power.

He always looked in fantastic shape. Standing at 6ft4 with a ripped body he was a truly fantastic specimen of a man. He had the perfect physique for a heavyweight boxer.

Bruno fought the likes of Tim Witherspoon, Joe Bugner, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Oliver McCall. This a great list of opponents and unsurprisingly he has a mixed record against such boxers.

One of his most famous moments is when he rocked Tyson for a moment and had the chance to possibly finish him but was unable to do so. If Bruno had been able to, he would have become an instant legend of the sport.

Bruno tried to win a world title for many years with no success but with the British support behind him he was finally able to achieve his ambition and win the WBC Heavyweight Title in 1995.

He went through a gruelling match with McCall in which he really had to show heart and determination to get through. Following this he had an open-top bus parade through the city of London in which thousands turned out to celebrate his success.

This was the moment that he and the whole of Britain had been waiting for and solidified his legacy as a true icon of British sport.

Bruno is perhaps more popular out of the ring than he ever was for his work as a boxer. A gentle giant of a man with a likeable personality, he is loved by his country.

Bruno was born into a large family and was constantly getting himself into trouble as a youngster , which led to him being sent away to a school in Sussex to help his behavioural problems.

Here he was able to sort out his behavioural issues and develop his boxing ability.

Bruno had a great friendship with BBC boxing commentator Harry Carpenter which led to an iconic catchphrase of 'you know what I mean Harry'.

Their friendship showcased to the public what a genuine, likeable character Bruno really is and is part of the reason why he had and still has so much support and so many fans.

Following his retirement from boxing Bruno has appeared on many different platforms including pantomime and appearing as a presenter on 'It’s A Knockout'.

Bruno's popularity continued over the years and he still is a remarkably popular character. Regrettably following his retirement Bruno has suffered from mental health issues which he is still dealing with to this very day.

Bruno began to suffer from depression and to those around him began to act irrationally and was just not himself. This led to Bruno being forcibly taken from his home in September 2003 by a combination of the police and medical staff using the Mental Health Act 1983 legislation.

Bruno was admitted to Goodmayes Hospital where he underwent psychiatric tests to try and find out why he had been acting in such a way.

Bruno was diagnosed as suffering from Bipolar disorder which is where sufferers have erratic mood swings from one extreme to the other. This is a difficult issue to deal with and Bruno is still dealing with these issues today.

Bruno began to be able to deal with these issues more effectively and began training again to keep himself healthy and keep his mind active. This has led to him becoming more stable and hopefully one which can remain on top of his Bipolar.

Bruno appeared on Piers Morgan's Life Stories in April 2012 which opened up his life to the public and touched on all of the most emotional events.

This for many allowed them to see things from Bruno's perspective. This programme once more showed-off his personality and his iconic laugh and showed just why he will always be loved by the people.

Bruno is a much-loved man, with a great personality and has the unending support of his country.

He is a true icon of British boxing and more importantly a man who is a national hero.

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DISCLAIMER

This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeSport Writing Academy and does not represent the views of
GiveMeSport.com or SportsNewMedia. The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article.
GiveMeSport.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors.

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